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ILLINOIS’

A GUIDE TO WORKPLACE WELLNESS HONOREES The 2021 Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Awards are sponsored by Cigna and conducted by health analytics provider Springbuk Inc. in association with Crain’s Content Studio. Here are this year’s winners and top finalists.

2-99 EMPLOYEES

Winner: Connor & Gallagher OneSource Finalists: Shop Smart LLC, Vesta Preferred Realty

100-499 EMPLOYEES

Winner: V3 Companies, Ltd. Finalists: Associated Agencies, Inc., TBI

500-1,499 EMPLOYEES

Winner: Busey Bank Finalists: AssetMark, Collaborative Solutions, LLC

1,500-4,999 EMPLOYEES Winner: Riverside Healthcare Finalists: CNO Financial Group, Syngenta

5,000+ EMPLOYEES

Winner: U-Haul Finalists: Burns & McDonnell, CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc

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Winners Announced of 2021 Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Awards Event How to drive economic vitality through a healthy, productive workforce

By Jane Adler EMCEE

JIM KIRK

Publisher Crain’s Chicago Business

H

MODERATOR

LISA BUCKLEY

Vice President, Account Management Cigna Midwest

PANELISTS

PRESENTERS

BRIAN MARSELLA Market President Cigna Midwest

ighlighting best practices, the state’s top corporate well-being programs were recently honored at the 2021 Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Awards. Global health insurer Cigna sponsored the virtual event which this year focused on driving economic vitality through a healthy productive workforce. This is the sixth year Cigna has sponsored the event which was hosted by Crain’s Content Studio, and emceed by Crain’s Chicago Business Publisher Jim Kirk.

ELLIE POLACK

Managing Director, Enterprise Thought Leadership, Cigna

CHIP ROSS

Wellbeing Program Manager, Syngenta

study results are available at healthyworkforce.economist. com. “We wanted to further the understanding of the intrinsic connectivity between employees’ health and well-being, and its role in business success and the revitalization of the U.S. economy coming out of COVID,” Polack said.

The research showed: • The definition of health and wellness has shifted. Employees (54%) define health and wellness as a good work-life balance.

• Incentives of all types help boost productivity.

• Employees (41%) say the biggest threat to business growth is burnout, though fewer senior executives (33%) consider burnout a threat. “We need to prioritize mental wellbeing, preventing burnout, and work-life balance,” Polack said.

• Senior executives (90%) say employers have a responsibility to promote health engagement, but measurement of worker health as a driver of business success lacks consistency.

JENNIFER LOLLINO VP, Human Resources ECOS

LEAH MUHICH

Senior Benefits Manager, Empire Today LLC

The social isolation of the pandemic made behavioral health a priority. Empire Today, for example, addressed the issue with such online tools as Cigna’s iPrevail, a digital therapeutics platform and Happify™ to manage stress.

Syngenta, a worldwide agri-business with 4,000 employees, focused on employee burnout and launched a training program for executives to identify stress and depression in workers. The company also reintroduced the staff to its employee assistance program (EAP), so they could more fully understand the benefits.

ECOS held a six-month brain health workshop. Operations were stopped at all facilities so employees could attend. The program focused on boosting performance by preventing early aging of the brain.

Cigna’s Buckley asked about the connection between wellbeing program and business success.

Syngenta, which is self-insured, has been able to lower healthcare costs with a 70% participation by employees in the wellness program, according to Syngenta Well-being Program Manager Chip Ross. During the pandemic, Syngenta has even surpassed

A panel discussion followed with three human resources executives. Lisa Buckley, vice president, account management, Cigna Midwest, moderated the discussion.

V3 Companies “The pandemic put employee health in the spotlight and accelerated the continued need to focus on whole person health, both body and mind,” said Cigna Midwest Market President Brian Marsella. “That’s why it’s so important to recognize today’s winners who are prioritizing workplace wellbeing.”

Before the announcement of the 15 award-winning employers, Cigna’s Managing Director, Enterprise Thought Leadership, Ellie Polack, presented new company-sponsored research. The study explores the role of employers in driving links between employee well-being and productivity, business success, and overall economic vitality.

Conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the study surveyed 1,800 employees and employers which was supplemented with expert interviews and focus groups to provide strong qualitative and quantitative data (Complete

Panelists agreed that the pandemic required them to make big adjustments to their wellness initiatives, pivoting to a mostly online format. Communication was stepped up to maintain employee engagement. “We kept health and wellness top of mind,” noted Jennifer Lollino, vice president, human resources, ECOS, a maker of safer cleaning products.

Since most ECOS employees work on site, the company focused throughout the pandemic on creating a work environment that enhances health and well-being. In fact, the company recently achieved a platinum level WELL Certification from the International WELL Building Institute, which rates buildings on the health of their environment.

A big benefit during the pandemic was the addition of telehealth and mental telehealth services. Employees have been able to schedule online visits with doctors and therapists. “We promoted telehealth heavily,” said Leah Muhich, senior benefits manager, Empire Today, a flooring company.

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its financial goals. “Healthy employees are more productive.” Ross said.

Looking ahead, panelists said they plan to build on this year’s success. Syngenta’s Ross advised wellness managers to reach out to employees. “Don’t make them come to you,” he said. “Put a human face on wellness.”

Lollino at ECOS encouraged wellness managers to stay creative, using the new tools they’ve adopted over the past 18 months.

Empire’s Muhich said, “Smile, a lot. Have fun.” She added that it’s important to be patient with employees. “Everyone is going through something.”

Cigna’s Marsella concluded the online event with the announcement of the winners of the

2021 Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Awards.

Contestants are evaluated on six areas of corporate health and wellness. The organizations are arranged by size and compete with like-sized groups. The award is powered and scored by Springbuk, a health analytics company.

The 1st place winners for 2021 are: Connor and Gallagher OneSource; V3 Companies; Busey Bank; Riverside Healthcare; and U-Haul.

In conclusion, Marsella congratulated the finalists and winners. “The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the workforce and how we work more than anything we have experienced in our lifetime,” he said. “These local companies are driving economic vitality through a healthy, productive workforce.”

U-Haul

Busey Bank

Riverside Healthcare

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7 Tips for Wellness Program Success

By Jane Adler

W

orkplace wellness programs that get results start with the needs of employees in mind. Here are seven effective ways to promote worker wellness from the finalists of the 2021 Illinois’ Healthiest Employers Awards.

1. KEEP IT SIMPLE, AND ACCESSIBLE.

Busey Bank (1st place, 500-1,499 employees) offers a holistic wellness program, B Well. Employees are allowed to focus on improving their health, well-being and daily habits through benefits best suited for their unique lifestyle. About 95% of Busey’s associates are actively engaged in the B Well program.

It incentivizes wellness through a leveled point system and associates are rewarded with prizes, HSA contributions or cash for achieving four levels. Points are accumulated through fun, engaging and frequently refreshed challenges, such as “Keep it Whole,” which suggests replacing two or more processed foods with whole foods at least once a day, and “The Magic of Tracking Your Mood,” which teaches employees to monitor daily what makes them feel good and what triggers bad feelings.

2. COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE.

Connor & Gallagher OneSource (1st place, 2-99 employees) suggests using a variety of communication vehicles depending on what works best for your workplace. Tools might include posters hung up around the office, e-mails, messages from the CEO to all staff, and in-person communications during team meetings. Wellness champions from the employee wellness committee at the company encourage and help engage employees while enhancing overall well-being for team members.

3. LEVERAGE VENDORS.

U-Haul International (1st place, 5,000+ employees) advises maintaining a strong relationship with vendors, such as medical insurance providers, wellness program platforms and pharmacy

Shop Smart LLC

Associated Agencies, Inc.

benefit managers. “Make sure you understand and know what is included within your contracts and administrative fees,” says Monique Harty, wellness program manager at U-Haul. With that knowledge, she adds, the company can take full advantage of its current programs before adding any new vendors or programs.

4. KEEP IT FRESH.

Don’t recycle the same program over and over. V3 Companies (1st place, 100-499 employees) launched its wellness program using the basics which worked well. But the wellness committee changes it up very year. “It keeps our employees engaged and excited to see what is new and around the corner,” says Lori Woody, director of operations and facilities at V3 Companies. Challenges are popular with employees, so the company held an “Oktoberfest Walking Challenge” that put employees on teams from different states.

Accumulating steps was part of the challenge, along with two other components. The group had to meet virtually and answer ice-breaker questions. And the team had to go out in nature and spell the name of the team in fall leaves and create a picture. “It was one of our most popular challenges,” Woody says.

5. BUILD YOUR WELLNESS PROGRAM AROUND THE LIVES OF YOUR EMPLOYEES.

Riverside Healthcare (1st place, 1,500-4,999) doesn’t expect employees to live their lives around the wellness program.

“Employees have so much going on in their lives between work, home, and other commitments that it leaves little time for much else,” says Lynn Christian, human resources employee outreach & wellness manager at Riverside Healthcare. “Keep your wellness initiatives simple and easily accessible.” Initiatives should be integrated with activities employees already do daily.

What are some things your employees like to do in their free time? Ask the question of your employees, then find ways to wrap your wellness initiatives around those things. Include

TBI

Vesta Preferred Realty ILLINOIS’ HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS

AssetMark

family in wellness programs and challenges—a great way to achieve participation.

6. MEASURE PARTICIPATION.

Collaborative Solutions (3rd place, 500-1,499 employees) measures employee feedback and participation regularly.

The company saw a steady increase in participation even as the initiatives were held virtually because of the pandemic.

The company attributes its high participation rate to offering initiatives and challenges that are employee centric and interactive. These include “Mindful Mondays” that provide guided meditations for employees, company-wide step races and healthy recipe challenges. “At the core of Collaborative’s values is people and we do an exceptional job at always tying in people to every decision,” says Bonnie Dowler, chief people officer at Collaborative.

7. CREATE A COMMITTEE.

Burns & McDonnell (2nd place, 5,000+ employees), which is employee owned, launched a wellness committee to help create and develop company-wide wellness initiatives with representatives from offices nationwide. The committee’s mission is to foster a culture to make healthy living more convenient and accessible for employees. Committee members, or “Wellness Champs,” are responsible for coordinating local wellness events in their offices. In 2020, a “Fitness and Nutrition” community was launched on the company’s intranet. It is a space where employees can share recipes, workouts and other ideas to help lead a healthy lifestyle. Fitness challenges promote wellness and provide opportunities to earn points through an incentive program.

During this year’s “Step It Up Challenge,” participants logged more than 316 million steps. Nearly 1,200 employees participated in the annual “Fall into Fitness” workout challenges. “We want to help our employees take ownership of their health to achieve their goals and feel great,” says Burns & McDonnell Chairman and CEO Ray Kowalik.

Collaborative Solutions, LLC

CNO Financial Group

Burns & McDonnell

Syngenta ILLINOIS’ HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS

CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc

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Workforce Health: A Business Imperative to Achieve Economic Prosperity

By BRIAN MARSELLA, Market President – Midwest, Cigna

T

he Cigna Midwest team is proud to recognize companies who are truly making a difference in workplace wellness. They understand that prioritizing workforce well-being is a key driver of business success. We’re proud to support Crain’s Healthiest Employers given our commitment to improving the health, wellbeing and peace of mind of the people and communities we serve.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world more than any event in recent history, significantly impacting the health and wellbeing of our workforce and the economy. As a result, the inextricable link between individual health and productivity, business performance, and economic prosperity is clear, and now is the time for employers to more actively engage and support the mental and physical health of employees.

In a recent survey by The Economist Intelligence Unit (healthyworkforce. economist.com), commissioned by Cigna, both executives and non-executive employees agree that worker well-being is fundamental to business success. Executives in particular view productivity as the top result of a healthy workforce, with more than 90% seeing investments in employee health and wellness having a direct impact on financial performance. Most executives and employees believe that a healthy workforce is critical to economic vitality; 90% of respondents say companies that prioritize health and wellbeing will recover faster than those that don’t.

The survey also emphasized the importance of mental health. The combination of fatigue,

burnout, and stress was recognized as the top barrier to business growth. Workers in the Midwest ranked these concerns higher than in other parts of the country: 41% versus 33% in the West, 38% in the Northeast, and 39% in the South. Many continue to struggle with the impacts of isolation, disconnection, and blurring lines between work and home due to the pandemic, and more people are seeking care for stress, anxiety, and depression. Across the U.S. over half (59%) of employees are looking for broader access to mental health benefits.

Research results uncovered other key differences related to mental health and worklife balance: • Industry differences: Employees in health care, financial services, and retail industries were most likely to rate fatigue, burnout, and stress as a significant barrier to business growth.

• Differences between executives and employees: While 41% of employees indicated that fatigue, stress and burnout are top barriers to business growth, only 33% of executives did the same, representing an 8% difference.

• Importance of work-life balance: The view of what best defines a healthy workforce differs between executives and employees. For executives, having access to quality health care ranked highest (51% vs. 44% for employees).

Whereas employees prioritized having a good work-life balance (57% vs. 48% of executives, representing a 9 point difference).

Employers can play a leading role in addressing the increased need for health and well-being support. This means more

than providing health benefits and wellness programs; businesses also need to help build a culture of health designed to encourage employees to engage in those programs and their personal well-being. This culture should be created with strong leadership commitment and employee involvement, as well as encompass both physical and mental health, reduce stigma and support greater work-life balance.

for broader, more holistic health and wellbeing strategies.

How do we do that at Cigna? One effective tool we utilize is Mental Health First Aid Training. The goal is to help employees recognize and understand common behavioral issues, explore how stigma is associated with mental health, and offer resources for support. We’re also training and certifying our employer clients so that they can best support their own employees. Further, we help create a culture of wellness through our Midwest Well-Being Committee. This team develops regular employee programming focused on whole-person health including healthy cooking demos, exercise classes, financial wellness seminars, and weekly meditation classes. These are just a few of the ways that our Cigna Midwest team prioritizes physical and emotional health for our employees.

Find out more about The Economist Intelligence Unit’s exploration of how a healthy workforce drives economic vitality at healthyworkforce. economist.com.

As more companies return to work in-person, they’re taking steps to address employee concerns about workplace safety. The Economist study found that workers in the Midwest place a high priority on workplace safety and feel more confident about conditions at work compared to employees in the South and West. Companies in our area are more likely to have a majority of employees working in-person which reinforces the need

ILLINOIS’ HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS

As the country continues to manage the complexities of the pandemic, it is vital for employers to invest in the well-being of their most valued asset — their people.

Healthy, productive employees represent a true competitive advantage for American businesses, and help drive a robust economy.

Source: The Economist, “The Employer Imperative: Driving US Economic Vitality through a Healthy, Productive Workforce,” survey conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), commissioned by Cigna, in January and February 2021 among 1,200 consumers and 600 executives. https://healthyworkforce.economist.com Product availability may vary by location and plan type and is subject to change. All group health insurance policies and health benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For costs and details of coverage, contact a Cigna representative.

All Cigna products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC) or its affiliates.

It’s more than just health benefits data.

It’s direction.

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